Multicapsule sheet



Dec. 11, 1951 .s` NICOLLE 2,578,444

` MULTICAPSULE SHEET Filed Oct. 29, 1945 y 2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 INVENTOR.

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V MULTICAPSULE sgEET Filed Oct. 29, 1945 2 SHEETS---Si-IEET-2 fsf/ INVENToR. f/zd'flzs M'mle BY Patented Dec. 11, 1951 MULTIGAPSULE SHEEYE Charles Nic-olle, Gentilly, France,

Application October 29, 1945, Serial N o.. 625,392

In France ctoben12, 1343 Section. 1. Publio ,Law 690,A11gust 8.,. 1346 'Patent expires October v:121u963 Claims.. (Cl. 20,6.-1-56) This invention relates to the type of Ypackages designed to contain dosed portions of powdered or granular solid matter or solid matter or com, pressed or otherwise compacted into pills, pastilles and similar regularly formed bodies or of viscous or liquid matter. The invention is more particularly concerned with assemblies, in sheet form, of a plurality of such packages, in which one of two sheets of thin andpliable packaging material, or both sheets, is, or are formed with a plurality of outwardly bulging portions forming-capsule-lilrefcontainers which are connected by at portions of lthe sheets welded, glued or cemented together. The `sheet Arnaterials generally used for packaging solid or liquid dosed portions of solid or liquid material comprise, amongst others, a variety of plastics including, for instance, cellulose acetate which, like other similar materials, if used, for cost saving purposes, in very thin sheets, possesses very little stiffness and rigidity.` `Ii the capsules are large and/orthe matter enclosed therein is weighty, as is the case, for' instance, with bodies of liquids, -the assemblies of greater numbers of such' yfilled packages in sheet-.form are liable -to crumble .or to be torn.

In order `to impart to these multi-package sheets the stiffness and rigidity required for properly handling and displaying them, I form the vilat portions 4of the assembly, which extend between the individual capsules, with stiffening orreinforcing ribs formed from the sheet material itself. I preferto also stiften and reinforce in the same manner the outer portions ofthe sheet assembly and quiteparticularlythe border portions, thus forming comparatively rigid frame-like enclosures `Vfor the group of capsules assembled in the sheet. have found that, by preformingl one orboth sheets, in those flatportions 'which extend between and around the bulging vcapsules and are to be welded,glued or cemented together, when the capsules have been lled, with ,hollow coherent rib-like bulges, the height of these bulges though generally less than the height of the capsule-forming bulges is such as `to suiiice for preventing the fiat por: tions from limply collapsing or crumbling under the .weightoi the Vmatter contained in the cap: sules which, in the lcase of liquids may be con.- siderable.

These hollow ribs .also voler the advantage of facilitating the detaching of individual capsules from the sheet. i

In the attached drawing variousforms of em.- bodimentof the invention have beenshowndiaf grammatically and merely as examples.

2 In this drawing: Fig. 1 is a plan A.viewof .a ment of theinvention,

` Fig. .-2 .is a section according to IIa-II,

Fig. 3 stifioning rib carried out according to thevinf.- vention.V

Fig. 4 is another variant concerning the shape of therbs.

Figure f5 shows, inplan, azvariant ofthe wrap: pers shown 'in Fig. 1 with the line of rib cur-ved and interrupted; i

Fig. 6 is a section according to of `the wrapper-carried into effect Vin Fig. .5

'i .is 'a plan view -of'afragmentof variant ofFigfl,

Eig, 8is`a section according to :VIII-.NUI of Fig. '7,

Figs. 9 and 10 are `.sectional views'of two forms of ribsoarried out'in one only ofthe two sheets of thewrapper, the ethernet being providedwi-th ribs, l

'Figure '11 shows, in plan, a wrapperimade according to another example of embodimentof first form of embodithe invention, with the application of 'awvariable width rib `'made in one sheet only,

`llig'ure 12 Vis asection according to of Fig. 11;

vliig. V,13 is ka longitudinal section of another form of carrying out ofthe inventionfin which the single rib principle of Figs. 9 and 10 is,ap. plied,

Figs. le and l5 are sections .of other forms vof ribs, said ribs being asymmetric,

`Fiigfl is a vviewof another example of eme bodiment of the invention vin which the `ribs are used, at the Sametime, 11o-introduce decorative eiements,

Figure 17 is a section according ,to ci Fig. 16,

, .Figure `18,rlna1ly, is alargar scale fragmentary view of a wrapper made according to :theinvem tion and showing its effects from the point :of view `of the separatiouof the individual units or groups ofiunits. in the form of embodiment shown in Fles.. 1 and 2, it is seen that in each of the comparte mente@ .Sheets if! Y', in addition to compartments 2 .and 2 in which the products to be pao ed are placed ribs .3 and .3' are provided. which aro intended to give creator rigidity to iberleto.

I n the example in Fissl and L2, sald'ribs. are iuoprosition, that is to say they .are turned to wards each other,

In the example innige, ribs 3 are formofllll.1

vis a section of another form of hollow4 another f one of the sheets only, the second sheet not being provided with ribs. The essential point according to the invention is to have a rib, in at least one of the two sheets, and when there are two ribs, as inthe case in Figs, 1 and 2, said two ribs must necessarily be in opposition and never be turned in the same direction since the effect sought for, namely to give rigidity to the whole would not be attained, for when said two ribs are turned in the same direction and nest into one another, due to the slight thickness and pliability of the materials used in the manufacture of the wrapper (cellulose acetate or equivalent plastic materials), such ribs do not constitute a factor of rigidity, but even form the start of a fold in the direction of the rib. In the wrappers one rib invariably. meets, as a counterpart in the opposite sheet, either a nat portion to which its edges are attached, or the edges of another opposed rib.

In the example shown in Figs. l and 2, ribs 3, 3' are semicircular in section, but it is obvious that they may assume any other suitable shape, they may, for instance, be triangular in shape, as shown at 3a in Fig. 3, or rectangular in shape,

in case of need with the corners cut oli as shown the plate and associated, in addition, with a rib 5 separating the advertising portion of the plate from the utilisable portion.

As shown in Fig. 6, ribs of different sections can be combined in one and the same Wrapper (for instance a rectangular section rib 4 and a semicircular section rib 5), ,it being moreover possible to adopt any other combination if desired.

The edges of the ribs may, instead of being parallel, as in the examples shown in Figs. 1 to 5, diverge and come closer together so as to produce decorative effects, providing a greater reinforcement of-the rigidity at` the same time. This has been shown in the example of embodiment in Figs. 'l and 8.

In this form of embodiment, the ribs may be considerably widened at certain portions of the wrapper, in order to surround completely the products to be packed as indicated at 6 in the drawing. Around each compartment 2 there remains a small annular portion 1 by means of which the two sheets forming the wrapper are joined together.

When a wrapper is made with ribs in only one of the two sheets, said ribs are, conformably to the invention, always associated to corresponding flat portions. In this case all sorts of shapes of ribs. can likewise be used, both of semicircular section as shown at 3 in Fig. 9, and of rectangular section, as shown at 3c in Fig. l0, or of any other section.

This embodiment with grooves in only one sheet offers a quite sufficient rigidity, for, as soon as thev flat portions of the sheets which form the edges of the ribs are fixed by cementing or welding to a part forming a support, they immobilize the edges of said ribs which cannot then move apart, thus, ribs 3 of sheet I, for instance, can

:neither open out nor bend, nor collapse, and

thus their rigidity isensured.

In Figs. 11 and l2 an application of the principle of ribs in only one of the two sheets of the wrapper has been shown, in said application the rib itself, as shown at 8, need not necessarily be of absolutely constant width, but should on the contrary be of variable width. to enable it to contribute to the effect of ornamentation.

Further, in this Fig. 1l, a wider rib 9 has been shown which, at the same time as it contributes to the rigidity of the packing as a whole, permits the introduction inside it of a strip of paper or of any other substance I0, on which are inscribed indications such as: price, name of the product, directions for use, advertising matter.

In Fig. 13 another form of embodiment of the invention has also been shown in which is a lower noncompartmented sheet I which is provided With'ribs .3 associated with corresponding flat portions of compartmented sheet I. In said example of embodiment the ribs are positioned beneath the wrapping and are not visible when the upper surface of the wrapper is looked at.

When a rib is made in each of the two sheets of the wrapper, said ribs are not necessarily symmetrical as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, they may be asymmetrical as shown in Figs. 14 and l5.

In the example in Fig. 14, a rectangular section rib 3c and a semi-cylindrical rib 3', which is moreover smaller, have been associated, whileY in the example, in Fig. l5, upper rib 3d is, for instance, formed by two semi-cylindrical portions, whereas lower rib 3e is, in section, in the shape of an arc of a circle. Of course, all

other shapes of asymmetrical ribs might be used.

When making wrappers constituted by means of sheets of cellulose acetate or equivalent plastic transparent or semi-transparent materials, it is possible to place or to slip into the ribs,

- as shown at II in Figs. 16 and 17 strips or beadincrease the strength of the whole.

ing made of any material, coloured in case of need, making it possible to obtain certain decorative effects of interest from the advertising point of view and in case of need to further The compartments shown in Figs. 16 and 1'7 are spherical in shape, but it is obvious that all other shapes of compartment might be employed according to the products to be packed.

It will thus be seen, from all the foregoing, that the corrugations provided in one of the two sheets or in both the sheets of the wrapper have the effect, in the iirst place, of giving greater rigidity to the wrapper as a whole and,

vin addition, to permit of certain decorative effects. But this characteristic of the invention has, in addition, another interesting advantage, in the sense that it makes it possible to eifect the separation of the individual units of the wrapper (or of the groups of units), since said ribs constitute natural lines of lesser resistance to tearing, since, all along said ribs, the two opposite thicknesses are spaced a certain distance apart and are not cemented together.

follows either one of the edges of the rib, or goes alternately from one edge to the other.

If desired, in order to further facilitate tearing, and consequently the separation of the units from one another, one of the two ribs, 'or the Iiat part associated with the ribs of the other sheet, may be provided with slits or perforations; when ribs are formed in both the sheets, both may even be provided with slits facilitating tearing. It is moreover evident, as previously pointed out, that the section of the rib may be of any sort whatsoever.

It is to be understood that the various wrappers which have been described hereinabove, as examples, and which are all provided with ribs in one at least of the two sheets, said ribs in this case being in opposition to one another, may be provided in their fiat portions with all systems of ribs, crosses or not, and with all systems of tearing for the separation of individual units or groups, of units, as well as with all systems for the opening of cells.

Finally, the invention, although applying preferably to wrappers made of cellulose acetate or other equivalent plastic materials, formed by means of precompartmented sheets, might apply in certain of said embodiments of the simpler kinds, to wrappers constituted by means of sheets which would not be provided with compartments beforehand, but between which would merely be placed the products to be packed which are separated from one another by cemented or welded portions of the two sheets.

What I claim is:

l. A multiple package, comprising two sheets olf moldable plastic material, at least one of which has a plurality of preformed molded spaced article-receiving recesses separated and surrounded by plane portions, articles in said recesses, said sheets being bonded together substantially throughout said plane portions so that the other sheet covers said recesses, said recesses being arranged in a plurality of rows so that said package has a tendency to bend along lines extending through said plane portions parallel Cil to the rows, at least one of said sheets having preformed hollow stiiening ribs molded therein and extending transversely across all of said rows, said ribs being eiiective to resist said bending tendency.

2. A multiple package as defined in claim l, in which the recesses in said rows are laterally aligned, and said ribs extend at right angles to one another.

3. A multiple package as dened in claim 1, in which said stiiening ribs extend around the periphery of said one sheet through its peripheral plane portions.

4. A multiple package as defined in claim 1, in which said other sheet is provided with complementary preformed hollow stiffening ribs aligned with the ribs of said one sheet.

5. A multiple package as dened in claim 1, in which at least one of said sheets is transparent, and including a strip of attention-attracting material contained within at least one of said ribs.

CHARLES NICOLLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 20,564 Salfisberg Nov. 30, 1937 1,351,241 Graham Aug. 31, 1920 1,895,899 Schaub Jan. 31, 1933 2,006,212 Grabler June 25, 1935 2,102,858 Schlumbohm Dec. 21, 1937 2,184,799 Henry Dec. 26, 1939 2,260,064 Stokes Oct. 21, 1941 2,281,635 Strauss May 5, 1942 2,335,159 Salsberg Nov. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 598,113 Germany June 7, 1934 

